How often have you done something because everyone expects you to?

Probably once a day—if not more. While doing what’s expected is part of life, it’s another trap for B2B companies when it comes to solid, authentic brand development.

In our last article, we wrapped up the mistake of ‘accidental branding’ based on temporary aspects of a company. We also discussed how false beliefs lead to non-branding. A third approach we often see is “arbitrary branding,” which is motivated by the same doubts and skepticism as non-branding.

Situations come up that force companies to paste together a brand strategy of some kind—perhaps your marketing team insists on it. They recognize that  “having a brand” and “brand consistency” are important, but they don’t want to invest any thought, time, or money into figuring out what the brand actually is. Arbitrary Branding is when a brand defines itself because of expectation, making a random decision, and then sticking with it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIMxbPPWJR8
The Problem of Arbitrary Branding
What makes a decision “random” is that there is no ultimate explanation or story behind it, it simply reflects a pure act of will by the leadership, the marketing team, or the intern tasked with designing a logo. If you ask, “why?” there is no real answer. Core elements that compose a brand can’t be “invented”, “made up”, or “improvised” on the spot.

They are discovered, not invented. Companies are mistaken when they think that:

The purpose of an organization can be invented arbitrarily.
The brand expression of an organization can be invented arbitrarily.
The relationships with an organization can be invented arbitrarily.
The story of an organization can be invented arbitrarily.

These four building blocks of a brand aren’t arbitrary. While the decisions of leaders and others are all part of a brand’s story, they do not “make up” a story or narrative. A brand’s story is non-fiction.

In this article, we’re going to tackle the first two pitfalls of Arbitrary Branding—pretentiousness and randomness.
You Can’t Invent a Purpose (and It’s Pretentious to Try...)
Your purpose is something objective and enduring, a real part of what makes your company continue to exist. Your company’s underlying, unifying purpose has real weight and substance. It explains how you choose to operate in the present and where you want to head in the future.

Yet we’ve seen so many companies who try to make up their purpose out of thin air. They don’t have a lot of time to put thought into it—they’re too busy selling. Inventing a “purpose” is just a step to giving a pitch or getting some investment. A lot of startups do this: they think they understand branding. They’ve read some branding books, made something up in an afternoon, and it sounded clever. They checked the “mission and vision” box. Maybe it got them to a name and a logo, and that’s good enough. “Whew! Glad we got that out of the way. Time to move on to something that actually matters.”

Brands with arbitrary purposes are everywhere. It’s the vague statement that doesn’t quite mean anything or the repetition of trendy buzzwords. The noble idea that nobody follows through on, the lofty vision irrelevant to the everyday. The company which says it exists to “Be the greatest at what we do.” There are “mission statement” generators online that sound about as authentic. An arbitrary purpose is a “pretend” purpose. No one believes in it, and no one follows it, because no one really cares.
Your Brand's Purpose Isn’t Invented
It has to be discovered. You have to search the world around you and figure out why it needs you, distinctly. Why does responding to your customers’ needs motivate you? Why does it motivate your team? Your leadership? You have to observe not only your current passions but also your enduring cares throughout your history.

Coming to a shared understanding of your organization’s purpose takes time.

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